Combined hydraulically operated snorkel induction mast and head valve

ABSTRACT

A passageway for hydraulic or other fluid is formed by rigid tubes within a snorkel-mast hoist-piston so as to connect operating means of the snorkel-mast head-valve with a source of operating fluid so that both snorkel-mast hoist and head-valve may be operated in combination and with only two rigid fluid lines directly connected to the snorkel mast hoist.

United States Patent 1191" 1111 3,863,584 Wilkins Feb. 4, 1975 1 1- COMBINED HYDRAULICALLY OPERATED 731,500 6/1903 Ridgway v. 114/16 B SNORKEL INDUCTION MAST AND HEAD 746,606 12/1903 Toomey 114/16 D 1,037,191 9/1912 Ba11ey 114/16 B VALVE [75] Inventor: Richard S. Wilkins, Lyme, Conn. Primary yg M Blix [73] Assignee: The United States of America as Assistant Examiner-Jesus D. Sotelo represented by the Secretary of the Attorney, Agent, or Firm-R. S. Sciascia; P. Schneider; Navy, Washington, DC. N. Brown [22] Filed: Apr. 9, 1974 [21] Appl. No.: 459,432 [57] ABSTRACT A passageway for hydraulic or other fluid is formed by [52] U.S. Cl. 114/16 1), 114/211 rigid tubes within a snorkel-mast hoist-piston SO as t0 [51] Int. Cl. B63g 8/06, 863g 8/36 connect operating means of the snorkel-mast head- [58] Field of-Search.... 114/16 R, 16 B, 1 16 valve with a source of operating fluid so that both l14/2l l, 350/79-80, 8 snorkel-mast hoist and head-valve may be operated in combination and with only two rigid fluid lines di- 1 References Cited rectly connected to the snorkel mast hoist.

UNITED STATES PATENTS 726,947 5/1903 Lake...., 114/16 1) 3 4 Drawmg F'gures PATENTEDFEB 3863.584

SHEET 2 OF 3 FIG.

PATENTED 41975 3863584 SHEET 3 OF 3 Q i I06 w H2 NO E KOPENING T0 I04 I SHIP t b S H4 FLEXIBLE TUBE f V I22 7 WWW PRIOR ART COMBINED IIYDRAULICALLY OPERATED SNORKEL INDUCTION MAST AND HEAD VALVE STATEMENT OF GOVERNMENT INTEREST The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government of the United States of America for governmental purposes without the payment of any royalities thereon or therefor.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention pertains to snorkel-masts for use in submarines, and more particularly to improved devices for connecting the operating means of a snorkel-mast head-valve situated at the top of a snorkelmast to a hydraulic fluid supply within the submarine.

Snorkel-masts are employed in submarines to provide a passageway for air to be brought into the interior of the boat while the boat is submerged near the surface of the water. These masts require a valve to close the passageway thereof when not in use. Various schemes have been utilized to operate the snorkel-mast head-valve; most importantly these include hydraulic and pneumatic methods of operation. Unfortunately, these prior schemes have proven unsatisfactory. They have generally employed a flexible or telescopic-type connection between the valve operating means and the source of operating force. This kind of connection is objectionable because it is generally more complex in construction and therefore tends to be more unreliable and costly than rigid-type connections. Utilization of flexible-type pipe becomes a more significant problem when they are used externally of the hull since they are then subject to external sea pressure each time the boat dives. Associated with external pipes are the related problems of entanglement therewith of foreign objects and incrustation of exposed surfaces over a period of time. An example of a prior device of this nature is found in US. Pat. No. 73l,500 of Ridgeway, essential elements of which are shown pictorially in FIG. 3. A mast I08 passes through an opening 112 in the hull 110 of the submarine. A head-valve arrangement is shown generally at 100, having a cover 102 attached to a piston-shaft 106. The cover closes off the top of the mast 108. The piston-shaft 106 moves within a pistoncylinder 104, forming a mast piston-chamber 114. This chamber is supplied with fluid through a flexible pipe or hose 116 from a fluid supply 118. The mast 108 is supported by the valve piston-cylinder 104, which is itself a piston movable within another piston-cylinder 120. The mast piston-chamber 122 is formed by the space between the piston-cylinder 120 and piston 104, and is supplied with operating fluid through a rigid pipe 124 from the hydraulic fluid supply 118.

The mast 108 is raised by pressurizing mast pistonchamber 122, thereby forcing up the dual piston-piston cylinder 104 which carries up the mast and valve operating means along with it. Valve cover 102 is raised by forcing hydraulic fluid through the flexible hose 116 into valve operating piston-chamber 114. This causes valve piston 106 to rise, carrying the cover 102 with it.

The cover 102 is closed by allowing the fluid accumulated in the valve chamber 114 to escape through flexible hose 116. The combined weight of the piston 106 and valve cover 102 pressing down upon the face of piston 106 forces out the fluid accumulated in the piston-chamber 114. In a similar manner, the mast 108 is lowered by allowing the fluid accumulated in mast piston-chamber 122 to escape. The fluid is forced out through the pipe 124 under the pressure from the weight, of the mast piston 104, mast 108, and valve assembly 22 pressingdown on the fluid.

Another way to force down a piston within a piston chamber is indicated in the patent T. S. Bailey, US. Pat. No. 1,037,191. FIG. 4 shows a pictorial diagram of the teaching indicated in the Bailey patent. A periscope piston-shaft 126 movable within a piston-cylinder 128 has attached to it a piston-head 13 0. The upper pistonchamber 132 communicates with a rigid upper hydraulic line 134, and the lower piston-chamber 136 communicates with a rigid lower hydraulic line 138. The piston-shaft 126 is raised by forcing hydraulic fluid into the lower piston-chamber 134 while allowing any fluid in the upper piston-chamber 132 to escape through the upper hydraulic 134. By reversing this sequence so that the upper chamber is pressurized and the fluid in the lower chamber is allowed to escape, the piston-shaft may be lowered. In addition, if the area of the piston face in the upper chamber is larger than that of the piston face in the lower chamber, and if the same pressure is simultaneously exerted (by hydraulic fluid or other means) on the both faces of the piston-head, the pistonshaft will be forced down.

Design of modern submarines often requires the snorkel-mast head-valve be hydraulically or pneumatically operated. Operation by these methods has proven useful. Unfortunately, previous methods of connecting a source of hydraulic fluid to the hydraulic operating means of snorkel-mast head-valves have utilized a flexible hose or the like (eg telescoping tubes) to provide a constant source of fluid when the snorkel-mast (carrying the head-valve piston assembly) is moving or is at various operating positions. Failure of these flexible hoses have been the cause of failure of head valve operation, and is a primary reason for low reliability of the entire snorkel ventilating system. Failure of the flexible hose is more frequent when the hose is used externally of the pressure hull since it then is exposed to tremendous pressure forces of seawater at lower depths, as well as adverse effect of corrosive chemicals of the seawater itself.

Although many attempts have been made to remedy this situation, none have afforded significant improvement. The present invention substantially remedies the problem by eliminating the need for utilizing flexibletype tubing.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention eliminates. the need to use flexible pipe or its equivalent to operate a snorkel-mast induction valve. Passageways are provided within the snorkel-mast hoist-piston to connect the upper pistonchamber of the hoist assembly with the upper pistonchamber of the head-valve assembly, and to connect the lower piston-chamber of the hoist-mast assembly with the lower piston-chamber of the head-valve assembly, thereby allowing operation of both snorkelmast hoist and head-valve by two rigid and protecte hydraulic lines.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a schematic crosssection of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a detailed cross-sectional view of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is illustrative of prior-art devices used to operate a head-valve assembly.

FIG. 4 is illustrative of prior-art devices used to positively raise or lower a peri scope piston shaft.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION It is an object of this invention to connect a fluidoperated snorkel-mast head-valve with a supply of hydraulic fluid so as to eliminate the need for flexible or telescopic-type fluid-lines.

It is a further object of the present invention to connect a fluid operated snorkel-mast head-valve which can be supplied with operating fluid from a fluid supply over highly reliable rigid connections.

It is yet another object of the present invention to construct a snorkel-mast head-valve to operate in conjunction with a snorkel-mast hoist so that no additional hull penetrations for fluid-operating lines are required other than that required to operate the mast hoist alone.

Still another object of the present invention is to construct a snorkel-mast head-valve and snorkle-mast hoist to operate in combination, using only two fluidoperating lines to control operation of both valve and hoist, and by utilizing only rigid-type fluid-operating lines.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention is illustrated schematically in FIG. 1 and in more detail in the crosssectional view in FIG. 2.

A snorkel-mast 20 provides a passageway for air to pass from above the surface of water to the interior of a submarine submerged near the surface (e.g. 20 feet below the surface). A snorkel-mast head-valve 22 is located at the top of the snorkel-mast 20, and piston means 24 communicates with the head-valve. The head-valve 22 and its associated piston means 24 are attached to the snorkel-mast 20 near its topmost part. A snorkel-mast hoist 26 is situated parallel to the snorkel-mast and is rigidly attached at its upper end through a right angle bend 59 to the top of the snorkel-mast 20 so that the hoist and snorkel-mast move as a single unit. The hoist is somewhat similar in overall construction to the piston and cylinder assembly previously described and illustrated in FIG. 4. The snorkel-mast hoist 26 has a piston-shaft 28 having a piston-head 30 movable within a hoist piston-cylinder 32. The hoist piston-head 30 divides the piston-cylinder 32 into a hoist upper piston-chamber 34 and hoist lower piston-chamber 36. The hoist piston-cylinder 32 has a base 38 which attaches the mast-hoist 26 to the hull 110 and also provides a region through which hydraulic lines 40 and 42 may pass. Hydraulic line 40 connects the hoist lower piston chamber 36 with hydraulic fluid from a source 118, while the upper hoist piston-chamber 34 is connected to the source of hydraulic fluid 118 through hydraulic line 42. The snorkel-mast head-valve piston means 24 comprises a valve operating-shaft 44 which is connected at one end to one side of a valve pistonhead 46 movable within a valve piston-cylinder 48 and to valve mechanism 102 at its other end. A lower piston-shaft 50 is attached to the other side of the valve piston-head 46. The lower shaft 50 moves within the lower portion of piston-cylinder 48 arranged in sealing arrangement therewith, and rests within a valve lower piston-chamber 54. A valve upper piston-chamber 56 is formed in the region within the valve piston-cylinder on the side of the piston-head opposite to the valve lower piston-chamber 54.

The upper piston-chamber 56 communicates with the hoist upper piston-chamber 34 through upper hydraulic line 58 and 64, while the valve lower pistonchamber 54 communicates with the hoist lower pistonchamber 36 through lower hydraulic line 60 and 62.

Referring now to FIG. 2 which shows a crosssectional view of the present invention, the hoist piston-shaft 28 has within it two rigid concentric pipes-an inner pipe 62 and an outer pipe 64 concentric about pipe 62. Inner pipe 62 passes up from the hoist lower piston-chamber 36 through a passageway 31 in the hoist piston-head 30 and hoist piston-shaft 28, terminating and connecting at its upper end with the valve lower hydraulic line 60.

A passageway 29 in the hoist piston-head 30 connects the hoist upper piston-chamber 34 with the interior of outer concentric pipe 64 which also passes up through the hoist piston shaft 28 terminating and communicating with its upper end with the valve upper hydraulic line 58.

Operation of the invention is as follows: Assuming the snorkel-mast 20 to be at its lowered position and snorkel mast head-valve 22 to be closed, the following sequence occurs in operation of the snorkel-mast and associated snorkel-mast head-valve.

When the snorkel-mast 20 is in its lowered or down position, hydraulic line 40 is not pressurized, but hydraulic pressure (on the order of 1100 pounds per square inch) is maintained in hydraulic line 42. This pressurizes the mast hoist upper piston-chamber 34, preventing the mast 28 from creeping up. This pressure is transmitted to the valve upper piston-chamber 56 by hydraulic passageways 29,64, and 58. These passageway-segments form a hydraulic line connecting the mast-hoist upper piston-chamber 34 with the valve upper piston chamber 56. This transmitted pressure acts to positively keep the cover 102 of head-valve 22 positively closed through hydraulic pressure exerted on the upper face of the valve piston head 46. To raise the snorkel-mast 28, both hydraulic lines 40 and 42 are pressurized. Since the area below the piston head 30 is larger than that above it, equal hydraulic pressure in both mast-hoist upper piston-chamber 34 and lower piston-chamber 36 causes piston 28 to rise. The headvalve 22 remains in its closed (lowered) position since the area above the valve piston-head 46 is greater than the area below it.

When the snorkel-mast is fully raised and it is desired to open head valve 22, hydraulic line 42 is unpressurized (vented) while maintaining pressure in hydraulic line 40. This action maintains hydraulic pressure in the mast-hoist lower piston-chamber 36, and at the same time removes pressure from the mast-hoist upper piston-chamber 34. Passageways 31, 62, and 60 form a hydraulic path connecting the mast-hoist lower pistonchamber 36 with the head-valve lower piston-chamber 54. The transmitted pressure acting on the lower face of the valve piston-head 46 causes piston head 46 and shaft 44 to rise, thereby operating valve mechanism 102 (raising the cover) and thus operating valve 22. It should be noted that during this period the snorkelmast 20 cannot lower because of the pressure maintained in the mast-hoist lower piston-chamber 36 acting upon the lower face of the mast-hoist piston'head 30.

To close the snorkel-mast head-valve 20, the sequence used to open the valve is reversed. Hydraulic line 42 is pressurized while hydraulic pressure is maintained in hydraulic line 40. Since the effective hydraulic area below the mast piston head 30 is larger than the above it, equal hydraulic pressure in both upper and lower valve piston-chambers 34 and 36 respectively cause mast-hoist piston 28 to reamin raised, which thus maintains the attached snorkel-mast in the raised position. in a similar fashion, since the effective bydraulic area on top of valve piston-head 46 is larger than that on its lower side, equal hydraulic pressure in both upper and lower valve piston-cylinders 56 and 54 respectively causes the piston-head 46 and piston-shaft 44 to lower, thereby lowering valve mechanism 102 and closing valve 22.

To lower the snorkel-mast, hydraulic pressure is maintained in hydraulic line 42 while hydraulic pressure in line 40 is removed. Thus pressure on the upper face of mast-hoist piston 30 forces piston 28 down, lowering the snorkel-mast 20. Hydraulic pressure now present in mast-hoist upper piston-chamber 56 acts on the upper face of the valve piston-head 54 providing a positive means for keeping the head valve 22 closed.

It should be noted that except for conduit or hose 42, all conduits or hoses such as 62, 60 and 58 are internally contained within sturdy metallic structures, thereby providing protection for those hydraulic lines against the pressure of sea water which may cause collapse of externally located hoses at deep depths and also thus avoiding possible entanglement of the lines with objects external of the submarine. An important advantage of the invention is that positive hydraulic means are used both to raise and lower the snorkelmast and operate the snorkel-mast head-valve with a minimum number of operating lines and hull penetrations.

Obviously, many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

What is claimed is:

1. An improved snorkel system for submarine boats of the kind having:

a snorkel-mast,

a snorkel-mast head-valve situated at the top of said mast;

a hydraulic piston assembly to operate said headvalve having:

a piston-shaft connected at one end to said headvalve and connected at its other end to a pistonhead movable within a piston cylinder,

said piston-head having upper and lower pistonhead surfaces forming separate upper and lower chambers within said piston cylinder into which chambers operating fluid is adapted to pass in order to move said piston-head and operate said head-valve, hydraulic-type snorkel-mast hoist located externally of said snorkel-mast and attached thereto to raise and lower said snorkel-mast and said headvalve, said snorkel-mast hoist having a mast-hoist piston shaft connected to one end to said snorkel-mast and connected at its other end to a mast-hoist piston head movable within a mast-hoist piston cylinder,

said mast-hoist piston head having upper and lower piston-head surfaces forming separate upper and lower chambers within said. last piston cylinder into which chambers operating fluid is adapted to pass in order to move said mast-hoist pistonhead,

characterized in that there is provided:

a hydraulic-type fluid supply :system communicating with said hydraulic piston assembly through passageways within said snorkel-mast hoist.

2. A snorkel system according to claim 1 wherein said passageways within said snorkel-mast hoist connect said upper piston-chamber of said head-valve with said upper piston-chamber of said mast hoist, and connecting said lower piston-chamber of said head-valve with said lower piston-chamber of said mast-hoist.

3. A snorkel system according to claim 1 wherein one of said passageways is formed by a first rigid walled pipe disposed along the central axis of said mast hoist piston cylinder, and another of said passageways is formed by the space between said first pipe and the in terior of a second rigid-walled pipe concentric about said first pipe. 

1. An improved snorkel system for submarine boats of the kind having: a snorkel-mast, a snorkel-mast head-valve situated at the top of said mast; a hydraulic piston assembly to operate said head-valve having: a piston-shaft connected at one end to said head-valve and connected at its other end to a piston-head movable within a piston cylinder, said piston-head having upper and lower piston-head surfaces forming separate upper and lower chambers within said piston cylinder into which chambers operating fluid is adapted to pass in order to move said piston-head and operate said headvalve, a hydraulic-type snorkel-mast hoist located externally of said snorkel-mast and attached thereto to raise and lower said snorkel-mast and said head-valve, said snorkel-mast hoist having a mast-hoist piston shaft connected to one end to said snorkelmast and connected at its other end to a mast-hoist piston head movable within a mast-hoist piston cylinder, said mast-hoist piston head having upper and lower piston-head surfaces forming separate upper and lower chambers within said last piston cylinder into which chambers operating fluid is adapted to pass in order to move said mast-hoist piston-head, characterized in that there is provided: a hydraulic-type fluid supply system communicating with said hydraulic piston assembly through passageways within said snorkel-mast hoist.
 2. A snorkel system according to claim 1 wherein said passageways within said snorkel-mast hoist connect said upper piston-chamber of said head-valve with said upper piston-chamber of said mast hoist, and connecting said lower piston-chamber of said head-valve with said lower piston-chamber of said mast-hoist.
 3. A snorkel system according to claim 1 wherein one of said passageways is formed by a first rigid walled pipe disposed along the central axis of said mast hoist piston cylinder, and another of said passageways is formed by the space between said first pipe and the interior of a second rigid-walled pipe concentric about said first pipe. 